1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multifunction telephone through which communication with a portable phone is possible, and a multifunction telephone switching system for accommodating a multifunction telephone.
2. Description of the Related Art
A private network in an office is composed of a plurality of private telephones. The plurality of private telephones are accommodated in a private automatic branch exchange (PBX). The private network may be composed of a switching control system which executes the same processing as the private branch exchange. The switching control system is connected directly or via the private automatic branch exchange, with external lines such as public lines, private lines, telecommunication company lines, and WAN lines. The switching control system is composed of a control unit, which controls the plurality of private telephones, and a line unit which connects the control unit with the private branch exchange or the external line. The control unit may directly connect the plurality of private telephones managed or controlled by the control unit with the external line. The control unit can control extension line communication between the plurality of private telephones controlled by the control unit. The control unit can control extension line communication between the plurality of private telephones controlled by the control unit and the plurality of private telephones controlled by the private branch exchange. The control unit can provide additional services such as message service, interphone service, and data reference service. The private telephone which can receive addition services is called a multifunction telephone. The private network which is composed of the exchange control system and the plurality of multifunction telephones is called a multifunction telephone switching system.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of the conventional multifunction telephone switching system. The conventional multifunction telephone switching system 2 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a public line network (Public Switch Telephone Network: PSTN) 101, a private branch exchange (PBX) 102, a line unit 103, a control unit 104 and a multifunction telephone 105. The public line network 101 is not limited to PSTN and may be other line networks such as a private line network.
The private branch exchange 102 is connected to the public line network 101, private lines (not shown) and the line unit 103. The line unit 103 is connected to the control unit 104, the public line network 101, the private branch exchange 102, a LAN (Local Area Network) (not shown) and a computer (not shown). The line unit 103 is a control unit which is composed in software and hardware. The line unit 103 carries out protocol conversion. The protocol conversion carried out by the line unit 103 is voltage conversion and/or format conversion of a signal. The control unit 104 accommodates the multifunction telephones of a predetermined number. The control unit 104 is a control unit which is composed in software and hardware. The control unit 104 is installed for every floor of a building or every building in a factory site.
The control unit 104 is composed of a line control section 111, a line switching control section 112, a multifunction telephone control section 113, a data storage section 114, and a sound source 115. The line control section 111 is connected with the line unit 103, the line switching control section 112, and the sound source 115. The line switching control section 112 is connected with the multifunction telephone control section 113 and the data storage section 114. The multifunction telephone control section 113 is connected with the sound source 115.
The line control section 111 carries out the protocol conversion of a signal which is transferred between the line switching control section 112 and the line unit 103. The line control section 111 is a control section which is composed of software and hardware. The protocol conversion is voltage conversion and/or format conversion of the signal.
The line switching control section 112 carries out the operation control of the plurality of multifunction telephones 105 which are accommodated in the control unit 104. The line switching control section 112 is a control section which is composed of software and hardware.
The multifunction telephone control section 113 carries out the protocol conversion of a signal which is transferred between the line switching control section 112 and the multifunction telephone 105. The multifunction telephone control section 113 is a control section which is composed of software and hardware. The protocol conversion carried out by the multifunction telephone control section 113 is voltage conversion and/or format conversion of the signal.
The data storage section 114 stores the operation data showing the operation state of each of the plurality of the multifunction telephones 105 which are accommodated in the control unit 104. The data storage section 114 is a rewritable non-volatile memory or a hard desk unit.
The sound source 115 generates an acoustic signal of an equipment (not shown) which is connected through the line unit 103, a warning sound and a suspension sound to be reproduced by the multifunction telephone 105. The sound source 115 is composed of software and hardware.
The multifunction telephone 105 is connected with the multifunction telephone control section 113 of the control unit 104. The plurality of the multifunction telephones (not shown) may be connected with the multifunction telephone control section 113. The multifunction telephone 105 carries out extension line communication with another multifunction telephone. The multifunction telephone 105 carries out external line communication with another telephone which is connected through the public line network 101.
FIG. 2 shows the top outward appearance of the conventional multifunction telephone. The multifunction telephone 105 is composed of a handset 121, a display unit 122 and a group of buttons 123. The button group 123 is composed of numeric keys 131, a function setting button group 132, and a suspension button 133, a response button 134 and a monitor button 135.
The handset 121 is composed of a speaker and a microphone. The display unit 122 is composed of a liquid crystal display. The numeric keys 131 are used for input of numerical data. The function setting button group 132 is used to set the registration of an abridgment dial and conference call. The suspension button 133 is used to set the on and off state of a suspension circuit for setting a call to the suspension state. The response button 134 is used to set the on and off state of a response circuit for responding to the arrived call. The monitor button 135 is used for switching between an outside speaker (not shown) and the handset 121.
The operation of the conventional multifunction telephone switching system will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The control unit 104 monitors the arrival of a call to the multifunction telephone 105 via an external line. The call arrives at the control unit 104 from the public line network 101 via the external line, the private branch exchange 102 and the line unit 103. The line switching control section 112 recognizes the arrival of the external line call to the multifunction telephone 105 through the line control section 111. The line switching control section 112 refers to the data storage section 114 to confirm the on-hook of the multifunction telephone 105. The confirmation of the on-hook is realized by monitoring the status of the handset 121 and the response button 134.
When the line switching control section 112 detects the on-hook state of the multifunction telephone 105, the line switching control section 112 instructs the multifunction telephone control section 113 to carry out a call arriving process. In response to the instruction, the multifunction telephone control section 113 notifies the arrival of the external line call to the multifunction telephone 105. When the multifunction telephone control section 113 detects the off-hook state of the multifunction telephone 105, the multifunction telephone control section 113 notifies the detection result to the line switching control section 112. The line switching control section 112 carries out a channel establishing operation for the multifunction telephone 105. The line switching control section 112 records the off-hook state of the multifunction telephone 105 on the data storage section 114. The line switching control section 112 outputs an originator number to the multifunction telephone 105 when detecting a notice with the originator number. The display unit 122 of the multifunction telephone 105 displays the originator number.
When the multifunction telephone 105 carries out a communication suspending operation, the line switching control section 112 instructs the line control section 111 to carry out a suspension setting operation. The line control section 111 reads a suspension sound from the sound source 115 and notifies to the line unit 103. The suspension sound is notified to the public line network through the private branch exchange 102. The suspension sound is notified to an originator terminal.
The above multifunction telephone switching system is a system which uses a wired telephone network. A portable phone is used for the communication during movement. The portable phone uses a radiophone network. There are two radiophone networks: one is called PDC (Personal Digital Cellular telecommunication system) or PHS (Personal handy-phone System) in the radiophone network. The communication protocol for the multifunction telephone is different from the communication protocol for the portable phone. The portable phone cannot be connected to the multifunction telephone. The communication with the portable phone cannot be carried out via the radio telephone network and the multifunction telephone. The user who uses the portable phone and the multifunction telephone must monitor the arrival of a call to the portable phone and the arrival of a call to the multifunction telephone separately. Also, the user must response the call arrival to the portable phone and the call arrival to the multifunction telephone separately.
In conjunction with the above description, a digital multifunction telephone in an office switching system is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 10-191420). In this reference, a channel control unit (102) controls a channel which is composed of a hand set (104), a microphone (105), and a speaker (106). A private base station function section (109) has a radio interface function, a modem function and a channel CODEC function with a terminal in a simple type portable phone system which is based on the second generation cordless telephone system standards. A multiplexing and demultiplexing section (110) multiplexes and demultiplexes speech data of the digital multifunction telephone and speech data of the private base station function section 109 into and from the speech channel of the ISDN. A line interface section 103 connects data multiplexed and demultiplexed by the multiplexing and demultiplexing section with the private switching apparatus through the ISDN transmission path.
Also, a private exchange system is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 10-155167). In this reference, a cooperation managing section (13) manages which of personal computers (31 to 33) cooperates with a PHS mobile terminal (40). A general service executing section (12) refers to the cooperation managing section (13) to determine which of the personal computers (31 to 33) cooperates with the PHS mobile terminal (40), when a call is arrived at the PHS mobile terminal (40). The general service executing section (12) outputs the call arrival data to a high level service executing section (11) when either of the personal computers (31 to 33) cooperates with the PHS mobile terminal (40). The high level service executing section (11) executes a service provided from a multifunction telephone based on the call arrival data, and notifies the data to an API control section (14). The API control section (14) controls the display in accordance with the service in the personal computer (31 to 33) based on the data.
Also, an electronic switching system is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 11-136714). In this reference, a standard telephone 33 and a PHS terminal (32) are controlled by a digital switching apparatus (10) in cooperation with computers (34 and 35), respectively. In this case, a GUI operation screen which contains a function button corresponding to the digital multifunction telephone is displayed on the personal computers (34 and 35) under the control of computer programs executed there. On this GUI operation screen is displayed a connection state of each of the telephone numbers which have been allocated to the standard telephone (33) or the PHS terminal (32). Also, call control of the standard telephone (33) or the PHS terminal (32) in accordance with the operation on the operation screen. It is possible for a multi-appearance service which is provided only for the digital multifunction telephone to be provided for usual communication terminals such as the standard telephone and the PHS telephone.
Also, a radiophone system is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2776066. In this reference, the radiophone system is composed of a switching control unit connected with a telephone network, a wire telephone connected with the switching control system via a wired communication line, a main telephone connected with the switching control system via a wired communication line, and having a multifunction telephone function of the arrival or origination of a call, the communication or the suspension at least, and a plurality of radiophones connected with the main telephone via radio communication lines. The switching control unit includes means for receiving the telephone number of the main telephone and addition information following the telephone number which have been inputted from the wired telephone, and sending out a control signal to the main telephone. The main telephone includes means for determining the existence or non-existence of the addition information following a call arrival command which is contained in the control signal, and carrying out a call arrival start to the radiophone which corresponds to the addition information, when the addition information is consistent with previously stored addition information.